The Hottie of Hogwarts
by DFM
Summary: Amazing the damage a silly little magazine can do.


Title: The Hottie of Hogwarts  
  
Author: Devin  
  
Email: franny122004@yahoo.com  
  
Website: PG  
  
Category: SR  
  
Keywords: R/Hr  
  
Spoilers: None unless you're absurdly picky  
  
Summary: Amazing the damage a silly little magazine can do.  
  
Disclaimer: If it looks like HP and it sounds like Hp it probably is and therefore belongs to JKR.  
  
Author's Note: Big thanks to Hermione Weasley for the beta!!!!  
  
When Hermione got up that morning there was no way she could have known what was coming. It seemed to be a completely normal day. She woke up before anyone else in her dorm, got ready for the day, and went down to the common room with a book that would keep her occupied until Harry and Ron were ready to go to breakfast.  
  
As she sat waiting a beautiful barn owl swooped in and deposited a small package in her lap before flying out again. When she opened it a copy of 'Teen Witch Weekly', Mrs. Weasley had gotten both her and Ginny subscription for their birthdays, came falling out.  
  
The fact that it was the magazine didn't surprise her because the delivery was like clockwork. The people grinning up at her, or more importantly the one smiling up at her from the center of the cover, did.  
  
***  
  
Ron was exhausted. He had stayed up all night finishing his assignment for Divination and as a result had slept through breakfast and then had to run to the Divination tower. When he got there his class was still standing waiting for the latter to drop. Parvati and Lavender were the first to notice him and they immediately began to giggle.  
  
Harry followed their gaze and saw Ron. He gave him a 'what's with them' look and Ron shrugged, having no idea himself. He never thought he'd be so happy to be let into that perfume-clogged classroom.  
  
***  
  
Hermione refused to look up when Harry and Ron sat down at lunch. This seemed to be the last straw for Ron. "What is with girls today? Either they erupt into giggles or they ignore me!"  
  
"You have no idea what's going on?" she asked stiffly, clearly not believing him. Both Harry and Ron shook their heads. "Well..."  
  
"So Weasley," Malfoy's annoying drawl rang out from behind them, "I hear you've been bitten by the publicity bug. Potter should have told you it was contagious." Crabbe and Goyle chuckled stupidly from their usual lackey positions.  
  
The only sign of reaction was when Ron's hands tightened into fists. "What are you on about?"  
  
The smirk on Malfoy's face grew wider but he didn't get to respond. Owl after owl swooped down delivering letters of every size, shape, and color to Ron. After the barrage stopped he picked up the one on top of the considerable pile. It was a very girly pink envelope with hearts drawn all over it. Inside was a poem that made Ginny's valentine to Harry look like Shakespeare. When he finishes it he looked directly at Hermione. "Tell me what's going on."  
  
"Yes, do share Granger," Malfoy intoned snidely.  
  
A magazine being shoved under his nose was not the answer Ron had expected but he took it without question. The headline, as it was most likely designed to do, stood out clear as day. 'Guy Mania: The 3 Three Best Guys From the 3 Best European Schools.' The title it self was not what shocked him. It sounded like the regular tripe from any number of a teenage girl's magazine.  
  
"Hermione?" Ron asked tentatively. "Why am I on the cover?"  
  
Harry, who had been looking at the magazine over Ron's shoulder, looked back and forth between his two best friends and cracked up. "It seems you have been designated the Hogwarts representative in the hot guy community." Ron was still sitting shocked but this comment earned a snort of laughter. Hermione however continued to glare.  
  
"Oh come on Hermione, you can't be angry at me," Ron said almost pleadingly, they hadn't gotten into a major fight all year. "I knew nothing about this."  
  
They stared at each other and the rest of the world seemed to fade away. They didn't see Harry's worried look or hear Malfoy's snide remarks before he got bored and left. Everything stopped until Hermione nodded her head, Ron gave her a lopsided smile, and they both started to breath again.  
  
***  
  
The prefects had all been given their instructions and had left so that only the Head boy and girl were left. The silence was awkward and neither knew quite how to break it.  
  
"Are we really okay or did you just stop because you didn't want to fight in front of anyone?" Ron asked.  
  
"Ron," Hermione said with a sigh, "don't you see what that article stands for?" At his blank look she continued. "Ever since you became keeper for Gryffindor girls have been noticing you more and more. Then you became head boy and it didn't seem like there was anything that would stop the exponential growth of your fan club. Now this." She started pacing back and forth and Ron watched helplessly as she continued. "And that's not even the worst thing. Do you know that someone had to recommend you do get into that bloody magazine? They had to know enough about you and have a picture and-" Her voice had raised steadily throughout her tirade but when she finished she collapsed into a nearby chair.  
  
As soon as she collapsed Ron knelt in front of her. "What do you think is going to happen?" he asked but the look in her eyes told him exactly what she thought was going to happen. "You do know I'll never dump you right? You can't get rid of me that easily.  
  
"So you're saying that whoever this girl is, or any of these other girls who drool every time you enter a room, don't interest you?"  
  
This sounded dangerously close to some questions his dad had warned him about, like 'does this make me look fat' or 'if I died would you get remarried', so he quickly answered, "of course not."  
  
Hermione sighed, not completely believing his answer. "Maybe we should break-up." She couldn't look him in the eye but if she had she would have seen his stricken expression.  
  
"So that's it then?" the quiet rage making his voice shake. "We've been together since the middle of 5th year and you want to break-up because of some bloody article in some buggered magazine."  
  
Normally she would have risen to the bait but for some reason she didn't. "It's not fair Ron. You know all those couples that make people sick with how mushy and lovey dovey they are? We never got to be that. At first we didn't tell anyone because Harry was distancing from us as it was, then when that wasn't an issue anymore we couldn't just say 'by the way we've been dating for a year, surprise'." She paused for a moment and the continued sadly. "It was fun for awhile, having such a big secret, but it's not anymore. Now I'm just starting to wonder if there's a reason you don't want to tell anyone."  
  
Ron didn't know which emotion to give into at this point. "If you want me to write it across Snape's forehead and put a permanent spell on it I will." That got a smile out of her so he continued, feeling encouraged. "I'll figure out a way to let everyone know about us without it being totally awkward, I promise."  
  
***  
  
It was almost a month before the chance came. On a sunny utterly normal morning all seventh years were talking about the notice that had been posted in their common rooms. A special meeting was going to take place after dinner.  
  
Ron and Hermione were at their wits end. They were both convinced that the next person to come up to them and ask if they knew anything about it, because if anyone was going to know what was going on it was them, would die a slow painful death by the worse curse they could find. So, suffice it to say, no one was happier than them when the meeting came around.  
  
There was a dull hum of chatter throughout the hall until Dumbledore walked in followed by the Heads of House and then you could have heard a pin drop. Dumbledore smiled smiled warmly out at all of the seventh years.  
  
"I would like to first congratulate all of you on making it successfully to your seventh year. You have gone through many trials over the years, not all of which included figuring out how big you had to write to fill up your parchments." Several students let out an appreciative laugh at this while most of the teachers rolled their eyes. "Now," he continued, "the fun can begin."  
  
This simple statement caused another wave of conversation to break out. When the hall was once again quiet all eyes fixed on the Headmaster. "This meeting has been called to inform you of the rest of the years activities. There will of course be Graduation, you may each have three guests and are expected to wear your dress robes. There is a trip to Dublin that, unless you are already of age, you must get permission from a guardian to attend." He paused here for dramatic effect and to make sure that they were absorbing all of this. "And of course there will be the Final Ball."  
  
Several of the boys turned ashen faced and a couple girls giggled, whether it was because of the prospect of a dance or because of the looks on the boys faces was undetermined.  
  
Harry was looking back and forth between Ron and Hermione, as were a couple other Gryffindors who had heard their brawl fourth year, worried about what this information would do but neither looked effected by this and continued to listen to Dumbledore's announcements.  
  
***  
  
Ron didn't have time to tell Hermione about the plan he had created because Harry woke up before him and was already waiting with her when he came down from the dorms. He thought he saw his chance when Harry was brought aside by one of the Creevey brothers who just had to tell him something.  
  
"Hermione..." he started but to his great aggravation he was interrupted.  
  
The offender was a short girl with long blonde hair and a hesitant smile on her face. He recognized her as a seventh year Hufflepuff that he'd had herbology with. "Hey Ron."  
  
"Hi, Elizabeth," he says and looks at her askance. He had never talked to her before for more than 5 minutes and couldn't think of what they could have to talk about. He exchanged looks with Hermione, who looked just as confused, as they waited for her to continue.  
  
"Look, I wanted to ask you if you um..." she paused here, took a deep breath, and in a rush finished with, "would like to go to the ball with me?"  
  
Ron felt Hermione stiffen next to him and knew there must have been a stunned look on his face. The blonde looked more worried than she had when she had shown up, so he smiled sweetly at her, trying to allay her fears.  
  
"I'd love to," he heard Hermione's sharp intake of breath and she started to walk away but he caught her by the wrist, "but awhile ago I promised someone I'd ask her first." He smiled warmly at her again. "But if she turns me down I'm all yours." He finished this off with a wink and she left with a grin and a slight blush on her face. Somehow he had managed to make her feel happy, she didn't have a date but she hadn't been rejected either.  
  
When she was gone Ron, not oblivious to the people passing them to get into the Great Hall, spun Hermione into him so that she was securely tucked into his side. "What do you say Hermy?" he asked, using the nickname he had borrowed from Grawp. "Be my date?"  
  
She looked up at him a scrutinizing look and didn't answer right away, much to the annoyance of those who had stopped to watch with bated breath. Her answer didn't come in the form anyone expected including Ron since when she tugged his head down so that their lips could meet he had to catch his balance so that they wouldn't end up on the floor. She pulled away and with the same expression she said nonchalantly, "sure," and turned to go to breakfast.  
  
It only took a moment for his head to clear and he quickly followed her and slipped his hand in hers when he caught up.  
  
The stunned crowd stood there with their mouths agape until Harry showed up and said, "I missed something didn't I?" Several people were willing to fill him in, each with their own version of course.  
  
The End 


End file.
